‘Please, Bill, just for an hour,’ pleaded Ginny in Muriel‘s garden, ‘I want to see them.’

‘No, it’s too dangerous for you to leave the house,’ replied Bill, striding towards the boundary to Apparate back to Shell Cottage; he‘d just brought Ollivander to stay at Muriel‘s house with them.

Ginny hurried after him through the twilight. ‘I’ll be with you though.’

Bill stopped and looked directly at her. ‘No, Ginny. I know you want to see everyone but it really is best if you just stay here where it’s safe; I don’t want to take any chances at all.’

‘Fine,’ replied Ginny with a sigh, ‘give them all my love though.’

‘I will,’ said Bill as he gave her a hug.

‘Tell Harry…’

‘Tell Harry what?’ prompted Bill, narrowing his eyes at his sister and wondering if he was about to find out the reason why she’d been so withdrawn lately.

‘Nothing,’ said Ginny quickly.

‘Okay,’ said Bill, not wanting to press the matter right then, ‘I’ll be in touch soon.’

Ginny waited until he Apparated away and then placed her hand on her stomach. The baby kicked energetically against it, making it’s presence known to her. Ginny was all too aware that soon the baby would be making his or her way into the world and announcing it‘s presence to everyone.

She knew she would have to tell someone soon but she didn’t want to add to her mother’s worry and she didn’t want to see the disappointment on her face when she told her either; disappointment that she hadn’t told her and disappointment that she was only sixteen and pregnant.

At least she didn’t have to worry about the Carrows since she wouldn’t be going back to Hogwarts, that was one good thing.

It was agonising to know that Harry was so close but not to be able to go to him. All right, she admitted to herself, she couldn’t tell him about the baby, not while he still had Voldemort to deal with, but at least she could have seen him, seen for herself that he was safe and whole, and alive.

With a sigh, she turned to go back into the house. Perhaps she would see if Neville had sent her another message with the DA galleons - it was the only safe way they could keep in touch now.

It was late that night and Ginny was just about to go to bed when there was a loud knock on the door. Her father rose from his chair and walked across warily, his wand out, even though the Fidelius Charm was in place upon the house.

‘Molly! Arthur! Open up, it’s Remus!’

‘Prove it,’ called Arthur through the door.

‘It is I, Remus John Lupin, werewolf, married to Nymphadora Tonks, and you, as Secret Keeper, told me where to come,’ he replied.

Arthur opened the door and lowered his wand as Remus bounced into the room looking as if he was going to burst with happiness.

‘She’s fine,’ replied Remus happily, ‘exhausted, but fine. We want to ask you something - will you be godmother?’

‘Me?’ asked Ginny in surprise - she‘d never expected to be asked to be godmother.

‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘we both agree and Harry is the godfather.’

‘Wow,’ she exclaimed, pleased, ‘yes, of course I will. Thank you so much.’

‘No problem,’ replied Remus happily a proud look on his face. ‘I really must get back to them now though…I’ve already taken longer than I expected at Bill and Fleur’s…Dora will start to worry…and I want to see little Teddy again.’

Ginny sat down heavily in an armchair as Remus left, her face pale. She knew that in just a few short months, it would be her going through labour to bring her child into the world. She would be a parent. She would be responsible for a child. The reality of it was terrifying. How had it got to this…she was the only person in the house who knew…

On the other side of the room, unnoticed by the others who were preparing to go to bed, Fred and George watched their sister surreptitiously as she sat with her hand on her stomach, deep in thought.

***

A few days later, Fred and George beckoned Ginny into the back room of Muriel’s house where they were operating an Owl Order service for Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. ‘Come and give us a hand, Ginny,’ said Fred.

‘I’ve told you again and again that I don’t approve of you using my house for your…business,’ muttered Muriel as she walked past on her way to the kitchen. ‘You should have more respect for me, I am one hundred and seven, you know!’

‘Yes, and don’t we all know it,’ retorted Ginny quietly, making her way into the room that was crammed with boxes containing merchandise. She sat down on the edge of a small desk as Fred moved across to the window to let in an owl which had just arrived.

‘Thanks,’ he said to his sister, ‘as you can see-’

‘Business is still booming,’ finished George, ‘so we could use the help of our favourite sister.’ He grinned widely at her.

Ginny rolled her eyes at him. ‘That doesn’t exactly mean much since I’m your only sister,’ she said sarcastically.

‘Oh, you wound us with your harsh words, we really expected better of you,’ replied Fred, clutching his heart and feigning hurt.

‘What do you want me to do?’ she asked, smiling at the twins‘ antics; they never failed to cheer her up.

‘As you can see,’ said George, gesturing towards the owl which had joined another three on top of the boxes, ‘we receive owls with the orders, and need some help putting the packages together to be sent back out.’

Ginny nodded and went to let in yet another owl which was tapping furiously at the window. ‘Okay then.’

They had worked companionably for about half an hour when Ginny suddenly let out a faint gasp. Her hand was about to fly to her stomach when she noticed Fred and George eyeing her suspiciously.

‘Are you okay?’ asked Fred.

‘Yeah,’ replied Ginny, straightening her back and stretching while the baby continued to kick energetically inside her, pummelling away with it‘s hands and feet.

‘Is it…you know?’ asked George curiously.

Ginny stared at them both, wild-eyed. ‘What? Do you, do you know?’ Her throat had dried up so it was a difficulty to get the words out.

George kicked his brother’s shin surreptitiously and gave him a meaningful glance.

‘Yeah, we know,’ replied Fred, glaring at his twin.

Ginny put down the Shield Hat she was packaging with trembling hands. ‘How can you…you really do know? You actually know?’ she asked, needing confirmation.

The twins nodded.

‘How can know about the baby though…Madam Pomfrey cast the charm…it can’t have failed or Mum would surely know by now…’

Fred and George exchange glances and then looked back at their now obviously pregnant sister. ‘You’ve just told us.’

Ginny’s face went even whiter than it already was, contrasting vividly with her red hair. ‘You pigs!’ she screeched, reaching for her wand, ready to hex them both into oblivion.

‘Don’t hex us!’ exclaimed Fred, holding his hands up in the air in surrender; he had no wish to be on the receiving end of Ginny‘s wand again.

‘We suspected,’ said George.

Ginny lowered her wand. ‘Does anyone else know?’ she asked in a small voice, dreading the answer.

They shook their heads. ‘No, they’re all too wrapped up in everything else that’s going on.’

Ginny took a deep breath and slumped back in her seat. ‘When did you guess?’

‘When Lupin came round,’ replied George honestly, a serious look on his face for once.

‘Harry’s?’ asked Fred.

Ginny nodded and put her hand on her stomach. The baby kicked into her hand again and she sighed heavily.

‘I couldn’t tell anyone…it was so hard while I was at school to keep out of the Carrow’s way, and I couldn’t just leave…’

‘You’re going to have to tell everyone else soon, you know, or Mum’ll have a fit if you suddenly go into labour one day,’ said George.

‘I know,’ replied Ginny, looking at her hands.

‘Although she might have a fit when you tell her anyway,’ conceded Fred with a grin.

Ginny threw a fake wand at him. ‘Really not helping, Fred.’

He waved aside the rubber chicken as it squawked loudly and fell to the ground. ‘Just telling it how it is, sis.’